Cigarette structure



Dec. 3, 1957 5 BERNHARD 2,815,028

CIGARETTE STRUCTURE Filed July 20, 1954 United States Patent CIGARETTESTRUCTURE Edgar Bernhard, Glencoe, Ill. Application July 20, 1954,Serial No. 444,470 8 Claims. (Cl. 131--8) This invention relates to acigarette and it relates more particularly to a cigarette which has allof the appearances of a cigarette, burns like a cigarette and acts likea cigarette but which is constructed to prevent passage of smokerearwardly through the end of the cigarette into the mouth in responseto suction or the like.

For medical reasons, many people are required to retrain from smokingtobacco products, such as in pipes and cigarettes, and more recently anumber of studies have revealed that the smoking habit may have beenresponsible for the increase in the incidence of cancer and may have anundesirable effect on the life span as well as on the intelligence andstamina of the human race. The desire to cut down or entirely to refrainfrom smoking has become a problem of international importance, yet manyfind it difiicult to dispense with the tobacco habit.

It is the consensus of opinion that a large proportion of the smokersfind it necessary to make use of cigarettes and the like because of therelief which it supplies to nervous strain by giving the individualsomething to do with his hands and the like, thereby to enable theindividual to acquire poise and comfort. Others find that smoking acigarette and the like is desirable from the standpoint of sociabilityas well as for poise and while such uses do not satisfy an internaldesire in the body function, yet most smokers are loath to give up thesecrutches upon which they have relied for pleasure and sociability.

It is an object of this invention to provide a cigarette which enablesthese people to retain all of the advantages derived from the use ofcigarettes without the harmful effects that result from smoking.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to providecigarettes and the like in which the passage of smoke through the endthereof is blocked to prevent passage into the mouth, yet the cigarettelights and continues to burn slowly as a normal cigarette and suppliesthe appearance, feel and sensations of a normal cigarette to provide thepoise and sociability which many people derive from smoking.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention willhereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration, but not oflimitation, an embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawing in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hand holding acigarette embodying features of this invention in a normal manner;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a cigarette embodying features of thisinvention, and

Figure 3 is a perspective view partially in section of a portion of thecigarette shown in Figure 2.

In accordance with the practice of this invention, a cigarette havingthe appearance of a normal cigarette on the market today is provided bypacking a cylinder of paper and the like combustible material withtobacco 11 to fill the cylinder throughout the length thereof except fora short end portion 12 at the stem adapted to be inserted into themouth. This end portion 12 is packed with a block 13 or other packingwhich provides the desired stifiness but which is impervioussubstantially completely to resist the passage of smoke through the endof the cigarette into the mouth. Such block or packing may be formed ofcellulosic fibers, cotton linters, paper Wadding, or other packingmaterial compressed into a cylindrical rod through which an air streamcannot be drawn. Instead of cellulosic or other fibers, other materialsmay be used such as a foamed plastic preferably formed with unconnectedcells or other rolled or molded substances and materials capable ofappearing as a filter or tobacco ordinarily used in cigarettes but whichresists the passage of an air stream endwise longitudinallytherethrough.

Since an air stream cannot be drawn freely through the stem of thecigarette in the usual manner, it becomes necessary to embody means inthe tobacco packed or rolled therein for causing ignition of the tobaccoin response to being lit by a match, lighter or other flame, or fromanother glowing cigarette and which will also cause the tobacco in thecigarette to burn slowly from the lit end to the base in the manner of acigarette which is being smoked in the normal manner.

To provide for even burning without supplying the draft believednecessary to keep the cigarette from going out, the tobacco is treatedprior to being packed in. the paper sheet with a material such aspotassium or sodium nitrate and mixtures thereof or other similarstrongly oxidizing materials which tend to support combustion and whichcause an even and steady glow when present in small amounts evenlydistributed throughout the tobacco.

For this purpose, the tobacco before being packed is wet with a 2percent solution of potassium nitrate. Amounts less than 2 percent canbe used in solution but the desired burning rate is not achieved whenthe concentration of the treating solution is less than 0.4 percent byweight of potassium nitrate and the burning rate becomes excessivealmost to the point of ignition when the tobacco is treated with asolution greater than 4 percent by weight.

Instead of wetting the tobacco as by means of a spray, soaking or thelike with the solution of potassium nitrate or other suitable strongoxidizing agent, the potassium nitrate or sodium nitrate may beincorporated into the packing of tobacco in the form of finely dividedcrystals blended for uniform distribution with the tobacco prior topacking. When incorporated as crystals, it is best to limit theconcentration to between 0.2 to 2.0 percent by weight of potassiumnitrate in the tobacco. Best results have been secured with the use of 1percent by weight potassium nitrate based upon the tobacco.

In manufacture, the cigarette may be prepared in the normal manner byrolling the paper with the plug 13 in the stem end and the granules orparticles of treated tobacco packed in the remainder throughout thelength of the cylinder formed of cigarette paper.

When compounded in the manner described and rolled into a cigarettehaving a block or plug in the stem end thereof, the cigarette that isformed looks like a cigarette, lights like a cigarette, glows like acigarette, burns like a cigarette, yet smoke cannot be drawn from thecigarette into the mouth, thereby to enable the cigarette to be held inones hand 14 like an ordinary cigarette and which can be raised to themouth like a cigarette to provide all of the poise and sociabilitynormally desired from a cigarette without being subject to any of itsundesirable medical and health hazards.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the details ofconstruction, formulation and treatment without departing from thespirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A cigarette comprising an elongate cylindrical shell. of acombustible material, a substantially cylindrical smoke impervious plugcompletely filling one end portion of the shell and completely blockingcommunication: therealon'g to prevent passage of a gaseous streamendwise therethrough, and tobacco filling the remainder of the shellinwhich the tobacco contains an oxidizing agent in. uniform distributiontherewith in amounts to maintain a uniform slow burning rate of thetobacco without reliance upon a draft of air being drawn through thecigarette.

2. A cigarette comprising a paper shell in the form of an elongatecylinder, a substantially cylindrical smoke impervious plug completelyoccupying andclosing one end portion of the shell and. completelyblocking communication therealong for preventing passage of a gaseousstream longitudinally therethrough, cut tobacco filling the remainer ofthe shell, and an oxidizing agent present in combination with thetobacco. in amounts to maintain. a uniform slowv burning rate of thetobacco. independent of any current of air passing therethrough.

3. A cigarette as claimed in claim 2 in which the plug in the endportion of the shell comprises a packing formed of paper.

4. A cigarette as claimed in claim 2 in which the plug in the endportion of the shell comprises a packing formed of cellulose fibers.

5. A cigarette as claimed in claim 2 in which the plug in the endportion of the shell comprises a packing formed of foamed plastics.

6. A cigarette as claimed in claim 2 in which the oxidizing agentcomprises. a. metal nitrate present in amounts ranging from 0.2 to 4.0percent by weight.

7. A cigarette as claimed in claim 2 in which the tobacco has beentreated by wetting the cut tobacco with a solution containing 0.4 to 4.0percent by weight of the metal nitrate.

8. A cigarette as claimed in claim 2 in which the oxidizing agent ispresent in the form of finely divided crystals uniformly distributedthroughout the tobacco in amounts ranging from 0.2. to 2.0 percent byweight.

References Cited. in the file of thispatent UNITED. STA'JEESv PATENTS269,361 Graves Oct. 29, 1907 1,209,292 Hempstead Dec. 19, 1916 1,726,737Harris Sept. 7, 1929 1,793,852 I-Iitt Feb. 24, 1931 1,996,990 CullenApr. 9, 1935 2,007,407 Sadtler July 9, 1935 2,085,293. Buffington," June29, 1937 2,192,569 Williams Mar. 5, 1940 2,246,929 Seney June 24, 19412,349,551 Helm May 23, 1944 FOREIGN. PATENTS 197,272. GreatBritain- May10, 1923

1. A CIGARETTE COMPRISING AN ELONGATE CYLINDRICAL SHELL OF A COMBUSTIBLEMATERIAL, A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL SMOKE IMPERVIOUS PLUG COMPLETELYFILLING ONE END PORTION OF THE SHELL AND COMPLETELY BLOCKINGCOMMUNICATION THEREALONG TO PREVENT PASSAGE OF A GASEOUS STREAM ENDWISETHERETHROUGH, AND TOBACCO FILLING THE REMAINDER OF THE SHELL IN WHICHTHE TOBACCO CONTAINS AN OXIDIZING AGENT IN UNIFORM DISTRIBUTIONTHEREWITH IN AMOUNTS TO MAINTAIN A UNIFORM SLOW BURNING RATE OF THETOBACCO WITHOUT RELIANCE UPON A DRAFT OF AIR BEING DRAWN THROUGH THECIGARETTE.